Bidding begins for operating seaplanes in Andaman islands

A Home Ministry official told PTI that the civil work has been completed at Diglipur airport on the northern tip of Andamans, air operations by Andaman Airways are set to commence from June 2019. Additional airfields are being explored at Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay and in Port Blair, for a second airstrip. Port Blair has already been declared as an authorised immigration check post for entry into or exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers. Paving the way for “Ease of Tourism”, as many as 30 islands have been exempted from the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime, the official said. Four tourism-based projects have been developed under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Requests for Qualification (RfQ) have been floated for projects in Long Islands, Smith Islands and Aves Islands while Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance has also been obtained for these four projects including at Neil Island. Key sectors identified for the holistic development of Andaman and Nicobar islands include infrastructure, tourism, green energy and skill development. To begin with, five Islands — Avis, Long, Little Andaman, Smith and Ross — have been identified for the project and another 12 islands will be added later. Improvement of connectivity has been given the top priority to promote tourism.

(Source: PTI)